Jets not sold on Hunter as starter at right tackle

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets' offense is struggling mightily, and a lot of the blame is being dumped on Wayne Hunter's massive shoulders.

The starting right tackle knows he needs to get better — and fast.

"It's all correctable," Hunter said after practice Monday. "It's all stuff that I've got to work on myself."

Coach Rex Ryan would not commit to Hunter being the starting right tackle for the regular-season opener against Buffalo after the offensive lineman had a lousy performance in the Jets' 26-3 loss to the Giants on Saturday night.

Hunter was manhandled on three sacks of Mark Sanchez, and a fourth was negated by a penalty. He struggled most of last season as the starter, but the Jets still guaranteed his $2.45 million base salary for this year.

"My confidence is fine," he said. "I've just got to get better at my craft and I'll be fine. I'm the starting right tackle until they say otherwise."

If it were up to many Jets fans, that time would be now as they have taken to Twitter, message boards and sports radio to beg the team to find another solution at right tackle.

Just two games into the preseason — Hunter didn't play the first because of a stiff lower back — it appears the veteran lineman is being put on notice: Get better, or else.

"We're committing to putting a good football team on the field," Ryan said. "There's competition, not just at the right tackle spot, but there's competition throughout. We're loaded in some spots, and the competitions elevate people's play. I think that's a great thing. To sit back and say this guy is definitely the starter, I'm not ready to do that. Maybe with Darrelle Revis, Brandon Moore and Nick Mangold, but is it a slam dunk, 100 percent? I like to see guys compete and earn their jobs out there."

Austin Howard, who spent most of last season on the Jets' roster but didn't play, has been getting some snaps with the first-team offense. Ryan left open the possibility that Howard could see some time with the starters in the Jets' next game against Carolina on Sunday night.

The Jets curiously cut a potential replacement at right tackle on Monday, parting ways with veteran Stephon Heyer. The Jets traded for former Carolina first-round draft pick Jeff Otah before training camp, but he failed his physical and was returned to the Panthers.